Therapist Clubhouse A Podcast For Private Practice Entrepreneurs With Annie Schuessler

Amy has learned over the past couple of years that being in control is over-rated, and she’s gotten more comfortable living in the messy middle. She talks about making a big pivot in her business away from the group practice she started and towards a solo practice. Listen as she talks about how to avoid the mindset traps of “too much” and “never enough.”   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Helping entrepreneurial moms Getting used to moving forward while things are in chaos Voices of too much and never enough. Money mindset work around self-doubt Impatience as both a strength and weakness as an entrepreneur Learning how to distinguish her wiser self from her other voices Deciding to stop running her group practice and go solo Her advice about how to build a group practice with a business mindset How to get on the right insurance panels and how to get off of them Test marketing concierge services Sitting with uncomfortable feedback   When you know it’s time to expand to a group practice   Show notes at http

In the last six months, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this podcast. I grabbed my sister and she interviewed me so I could answer them all. Come behind the scenes with me and I’ll tell you why I create the podcast, how the process has totally surprised me, and what’s coming next. I’ll also share what podcasts I listen to myself and what inspires me most.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   The group of therapists I created this podcast for (yes, real actual people) How Therapist Clubhouse is different from other podcasts How I decided to switch from blogging to podcasting Why I started a podcast rather than writing a book (for now) The scariest parts of creating a podcast My favorite business podcasts and books A humbling moment when I had to take my own advice Why I rarely record “snark moment” anymore A new segment called “question to chew on” What’s involved in creating and promoting an episode (all the steps) What’s next for this podcast Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/annie-

Dr. JaNaè Taylor was terrified at the idea of claiming her niche. Then she realized she wanted to create a new space for her community more than she wanted to be the catchall therapist. Listen as JaNae dives into the steps she took to step into full-time private practice and then begin a podcast and a movement called “Minding My Black Business.” Topics Discussed In This Episode: Working with race-related trauma Serving Black entrepreneurs Expanding her offers in 2018 Getting her website just right with the help of a designer Her love/hate relationship with fee setting (real numbers as usual) Starting the podcast “Minding My Black Business” Collaborating with business owners outside of our field Fighting the comparison mindset Time management and changes she’s made to her schedule Using social media authentically Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/janae-taylor

Bianca is on a mission to destigmatize therapy, fight shame and help people get the help they need. She’s discovered that video is the most fun and natural way for her to market her practice and educate people about mental health. Listen as Bianca dives into her personal journey of putting herself out there MUCH more in the past year. She’s got some advice for therapists who are ready to put themselves out there as well.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Treating her practice as a business Specializing in perfectionist women Finding her tribe as a therapist Collaborating to create workshops Stepping into public speaking Using Facebook live to educate people and destigmatize therapy Using video rather than writing to create content How to get started with video if you’re uncomfortable with it How to use one piece of content in many ways Balancing private practice with her agency work Fees (real numbers as usual) Separating her personal worth from her business How to raise fees for existing clients Show no

Who are you? What is it about you that you’d like to be known for? How is it you want to speak to your clients? These are some of the questions Nam Rindani encourages therapists to dive into before they start “marketing” their practices. Listen as she shares how she uses the internet completely differently than practice building coaches usually advise. And listen to how well it works. This conversation will help you look at yourself and your business in profoundly new ways.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Her niches working with men, leaders, activists, and pre-licensed therapists Why word of mouth is the main way her clients find her Why she fought all the marketing musts for growing her practice How she finally found a way to create a website that felt authentic to her Moderating her FB group with over 4700 therapists How she wrote her website copy in one day Rise and fly, a form of therapy she created for pre-licensed therapists only Her fees (real numbers as usual) Why she slides low and provides som

Show Notes:   What’s a better fit for you: group or solo practice? Wesley Little talks about why she chose to be a member of a group practice. It’s about collaboration and mentorship. It’s NOT because she hates marketing or couldn’t make it on her own. She’s great at marketing and could run a solo practice if she wanted to. She’s got great advice for group practice owners and those considering creating group practices about how to be a leader and retain excellent clinicians. Listen as Wesley Ann shares her journey in putting herself out there and creating a blog for therapists.     Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Why she prefers to work in a group practice How to spot a healthy group practice (and how to make yours healthier) Her fees and number of sessions per week (real numbers as usual) How she created a low-tech and effective welcome video The struggle of putting herself out there in new ways (like recording this episode!) Creating a blog for therapists learning EFT Knowing that If she repels some pe

Do you want to do more than just sessions in your office? Robbin Rockett is building an empire the smart way. She’s creating valuable content, listening carefully to her right fit clients, and adjusting her offers to respond to what they need and want most. She’s also leveraging her superpowers by focusing on what she does best and enjoys most. Listening to Robbin will make you think more creatively about your business.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Rebuilding her practice after divorce Niching with overwhelmed and single moms Why your niche has to come from your heart Putting herself out there with her podcast Creating a parent coaching practice separate from her therapy practice Creating a Telesummit for single moms Getting referrals because of the writing on her website Using webinars wisely to learn more about her audience Her fees (real numbers as usual) How she gets through low summer months Podcast or Blog? Robbin helps you decide which one is better for you Show notes at http://coachingwith

Think you’re supposed to have it all together as a business person and therapist? Believe you’re supposed to project a polished image to the world in all of your marketing? Patricia Young reminds us that vulnerability and showing up real, are better ways to go. Our clients don’t want us to be perfect. They want us to be human. Listen as Patricia talks about the challenges and joys of putting herself out there, taking risks, and sharing her real journey.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Working with perfectionist women who try to hold everything together. Self-disclosure and vulnerability in marketing Finding yourself in the messy middle of growth Modeling comfort with imperfection Starting a Youtube channel Doing facebook live Fees (real numbers as usual) Making a produced introduction video Getting used to the highs and lows in business    Advice on how to do a welcome video Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/patricia-young

What’s it like for a therapist to live with a chronic illness or other health issues? Lauren talks about training to become a therapist while learning that she had Multiple Sclerosis about three years ago. She shares the deep changes she went through in how she sees herself, her business, and therapy. Whether you’re dealing with health issues or not, you’ll find tons of great ideas and wisdom from this conversation.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Learning how to be a therapist while learning to live with chronic illness Changing her original business goals to fit what works for her body Allowing her symptoms to show up during sessions rather than pushing them away Focusing on working with people who have chronic illness and health issues Leaning on her superpower of staying emotionally present Permission for her clients to be whoever and wherever they are Giving a talk that brought in referrals from doctors Plans to create offerings outside of therapy Using FB live to grow her audience Fees, with real

Got a plan for your business? Sometimes things change and your plan has to change quickly. Georgia was set to start her therapy practice in her new city, LA, but getting licensed was taking longer than she had expected. She made a fast pivot and opened a practice as a sexuality and relationship coach instead. Listen as Georgia describes all the brave steps she took, from getting publicity to networking at multi-industry events.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Mistakes she made and what she’d do differently Diversifying her practice Working as a coach rather than a therapist Her niche helping folks around kink, poly, open relationships Networking at multi-industry events What she did to get known in LA before she moved there Deciding how much of her personal story to share on her website Being interviewed on a talk show Why she created 12 week programs in her coaching practice Keeping her overhead low Her advice for a therapist who has relocated Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/georg

You may have heard that it takes years to build and fill your private practice. That doesn’t have to be true for you. Albert breaks down exactly how he built his practice to the point of having a waitlist after 8 months. Listen as he dives into the mindset, strategy, and actions that got him there. Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How he got from agency mindset to entrepreneurial mindset His fees (real numbers as usual) Navigating his sliding scale slots Listing fees on his website The Scary moment of going from substantial agency income to a brand new private practice Creating great copy for his website Finding networking opportunities and activating his local community Turning fear and anxiety into action How he maintains a valuable blog without taking too much time or energy How he balances his business with his life The importance of paying attention to the demand of your community and pivoting when necessary   Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/albert-pignataro

Show Notes:   Have you ever considered adding coaching to your services? Pat is a licensed psychologist who works as a coach rather than a therapist. She shares why she loves coaching and how she built a coaching practice focused on helping people get on track with their finances.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Why Pat was drawn to coaching Using her clients’ values and life purposes to help them in coaching The niche of money coaching The differences between coaching and therapy How SEO helps her clients find her Her fees (real numbers as usual) and why she charges less than she could Teaching people how to get on track with their finances Why you need to niche if you’re coaching How to get started with adding coaching to your business Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/pat-chambers

You may feel like you’re on your own in private practice. Rajani Venkatraman Levis wants you to do what she did: ask for help and be in community with other healers. She shares what it was like for her as an immigrant to take the scary leap into private practice and encourages others to do the same. Listen as she gets personal about her entrepreneurial journey and shares the self-care tools that keep her feeling resilient as a therapist and as a human.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she started teaching and public speaking Why therapists of color often get funneled away from private practice The need for diversity in our field and in private practice in particular Why navigating private practice was particularly intimidating as a POC and an immigrant How she honors a period of silence every day (and why it wasn’t easy at first!) Her fees, with real numbers as usual The day-long training she’s developed about vicarious resilience How to be known as an expert in trauma without burning out Many ways

Imposter Syndrome can hold you back from growing your therapy practice or taking your business to the next level. Marielle Berg is a therapist in The Bay Area and the founder of a therapy center. She’s got more inquiries than she could possibly serve by herself. But she shares that becoming an entrepreneur and growing her practice wasn’t always easy. She has pushed herself over and over again to break through imposter syndrome, face her fears, and build her entrepreneurial muscles. Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Pivoting her practice when she began learning DBT Niching down her marketing and still having a diverse practice Taking action even when she feels scared and not ready Getting through fears when announcing her offers How her clients find her online through SEO and her blog Setting her fees and letting go of comparisons Learning that the business side takes work and skills Expanding to a small center to serve an over-abundance of inquiries Making business decisions based on long term goals S

Can you build a therapy practice around your superpowers? How does that even work? Ivy Griffin calls herself “a highly sensitive therapist” and built her therapy practice to serve other highly sensitive people. She’s embraced being highly sensitive as a superpower, not just for her, but for her clients as well. Listen as she shares how she went from feeling overworked to energized. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Working with highly sensitive people Identifying herself as a highly sensitive therapist How she set up her work life and schedule to respect her own sensitivity The pros and cons to bringing interns into her private practice Her approach to helping her interns through the money and business journey The time she almost gave up on this profession (and why she didn’t) Letting go of worrying and stepping into stability in private practice Transitioning from an insurance based practice to private pay Accomplishing a ton by taking small steps consistently Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/

Let’s get real about what it’s like to grow a private practice while raising kids and paying off debt. Natashia is brave and honest enough to go there and to many other deep and usually unspoken places. Natashia is a successful therapist and public speaker in private practice. She serves women and couples entering into parenthood. Listen as she describes one pivotal moment that changed the way she makes decisions in her business. In our listener question, we give advice to a mom who is building a practice with 2 young kids and very little childcare.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Surviving the intern years and early parenthood without outside financial support Why it’s hard to move beyond the economic level of your family of origin Raising her fees (real numbers as usual!) How to value your pre-licensed work experience Developing her signature talk Filling and leading 4 groups in private practice Knowing when to create new groups and programs   Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/natas

Diversifying your private practice means serving people in new ways. He shares his journey from being a brand new entrepreneur to building Selling the Couch, a huge community for therapists. Melvin also talks about his dreams for his own therapy practice where he serves 2 niches: entrepreneurs and basketball players. Listen as he dives into lots of ideas for increasing productivity, staying honest and ethical as a business person, and taking steps to diversify your own therapy practice.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Taking the terrifying step into private practice His goal of having a 100% online therapy practice Creating his course about how to podcast Why outsourcing early and often is a key to success in private practice. Becoming an entrepreneur and CEO of your own therapy practice How to stop seeing money as a zero sum game The difference between working ON your business and IN your business The importance of a morning routine Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/melvin-varghese

You often hear that building a therapy practice in a saturated market is difficult. My friend Allison sees it as an opportunity! If you ever struggle with a scarcity mindset (and who doesn’t?), this conversation is for you. Listen as she shares her method for building a therapy practice in a new “saturated” city, and how she handles raising her fees. I hope you enjoy this lively, funny and real conversation as much as I did. Topics Discussed In This Episode: How she chose her niche: women in their 20’s struggling with anxiety and eating disorders Opening private practice in a new city Networking with 90 people in 90 days Developing her abundance mindset The opportunity of a “saturated market” Her current fee and how she got there Her decision to NOT go for a doctoral program Being on insurance panels temporarily and then getting off of them Running towards her fears How she gets ok with a new fee Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/allison-puryear

Running groups is an attractive option for a therapist. Clinically, we love the possibilities a group provides. As entrepreneurs, we love the idea of serving more than one person at a time, but it can be challenging to fill groups. Cynthia has managed to keep several groups full for the past 7 years, and I got the behind the scenes story of how she does it. We also talked about her journey starting out in private practice as a single mom and her next possible steps to expand her practice. You’ll love Cynthia’s openness and honesty about her entrepreneurial journey.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How her niche became harm reduction sort of by mistake All the marketing tools she used to build multiple groups Her hardcore networking strategy Why she’s becoming a sex therapist as well Using listservs successfully and thoughtfully Moving into mentoring the next generation of harm reduction therapists Fees for her groups and sessions (real numbers as usual!) Pros and cons of possibly expanding to a group pr

Clay lives in New York City, but he’s run his therapy practice from Rome, Aruba, and London as well. He started providing online therapy at the request of clients and made some mistakes early on. Then he learned everything therapists need to know about providing online therapy and started sharing that expertise with the rest of us. Now he runs a directory for people searching for online therapists. Clay has always been an innovator. He’s the founder of walk and talk therapy, the practice of walking outside during sessions. As an innovator, Clay has been out on a limb a few times. In this conversation, he talks about two scary moments in his business and what he learned from each one.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How he started Walk and talk therapy in central park How online therapy helps some people who would otherwise not get services Why he started a directory for online therapists Why it’s important to provide online therapy within the regulations The possibility of serving people internationall